The Republican leaders had just informed then-Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher that as a recent combat veteran in their ranks, he would be speaking out in support of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on the Assembly floor.

Fletcher hesitated for a moment, not sure how to break the news. “This is a bad policy, guys,” he said.

That moment in May 2010 was one of the notable fissures between Fletcher and the Republican Party, which he would eventually leave on his quest to become San Diego’s mayor.

San Diego Mayoral Candidate Profiles

No one had bothered to ask Fletcher how he felt about the military’s policy toward homosexuality, so when he told his fellow Republicans, they were apoplectic. They insisted he change his mind or at least abstain.

Later that day, Fletcher became the first Republican lawmaker in the state to speak out publicly against the policy.

“It’s time we remove the barrier that stops some of our amazing individuals from serving openly,” he said on the Assembly floor. “I support this resolution and I hope the federal government will work with military leaders to change this policy. It’s the right thing to do. It’s time.”

Fletcher’s disenfranchisement with the Republican Party continued to grow and he decided to leave the party to become an independent less than two years later — midway through his unsuccessful mayoral bid last year.

Now Fletcher, 36, is running for mayor again as a newly-minted Democrat and he points to his speech against “don’t ask, don’t tell” as an example of his willingness to stand up for what’s right regardless of partisan politics.

“I’ve always been someone who’s willing to say what I think is the right thing to do,” he said. “People can trust that I’ll be a leader who brings an open mind, who is willing to meet with folks that I haven’t met with before, who’s willing to get a perspective on an issue I may not have shared, who’s always willing to look at new facts, and who’s willing to admit when they were wrong.”

Fletcher is billing himself as a more competent leader than the two city councilmen he’s running against. His priorities are to create jobs and improve public safety; he also adopted the “neighborhoods-first” mantra popularized by former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned Aug. 30 during a sexual harassment scandal.

Critics, including former Republican allies and distrusting Democrats, view Fletcher as a chameleon who will say and do anything to advance his political career. They don’t see a principled leader; they see a man without principles.

Supporters, including prominent Democrats and many in the high-tech business community, say Fletcher is a consensus-builder who can bridge the vast political divide between warring special interests — business and labor — like none of the other candidates can.

Fletcher, a former Marine and current Qualcomm executive, is leading the polls, and it appears the biggest obstacle standing in his way is the torrent of criticism he’ll need to endure from those on left and the right who can’t forgive him for his past or his present positions.